34 A NATUBALI8T IN CELEBES ch. ii 



in length. During our meal we noticed a rustling among the 

 leaves near us, and, for a moment only, saw the head of an 

 enormous lizard. Before we could seize our guns the beast 

 had disappeared. This was the largest lizard I came across 

 during my travels. At a rough guess it was probably five 

 or six feet long, the largest one I shot in Talisse being only 

 3 ft. 6 in. I believe it was a Varanus bivittatus, one of the 

 monitor lizards, so called because they are supposed to give 

 warning of the approach of crocodiles. 



After lunch we started together upon a little exploring 

 expedition along the coast. When we had crossed the little 





^\W}%;^ •^LVWa FISH 



Fig. 4. — Sketch map of the Northern portion of the East Coast of 

 Limb6 Island. 



point which I have called Eooper Point, we came to a broad 

 sandy bay left almost dry by the ebb tide, and this we found 

 communicated with a wide marshy lagoon, which, running 

 in a northerly direction, was only separated from the sea of 

 Butterfly Bay by a narrow sandy bar. 



There can be no doubt, I think, that at one time Eooper 

 Point was an island, that some years ago the northern end 

 of the connecting strait was blocked by a sand-bank, and 

 that, now, the rest of the channel is gradually filling up. 

 In time, perhaps, the lagoon and ' Flying Fish ' Bay will 

 become dry land covered with dense forest. 



